Compressed gas-fuelled cigarette lighters



May 1, 1956 s. H. NEWMAN COMPRESSED GAS-FUELLED CIGARETTE LIGHTERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1953 Inventor Altornevs y 1956 s. H. NEWMAN 2,743,597

COMPRESSED GAS-FUEILLED CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Filed Aug. 51, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorneys May 1, 1956 S. H. NEWMAN Filed Aug. 31, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor y 1, 1956 s. H. NEWMAN 2,743,597

COMPRESSED GAS-FUELLED CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Filed Aug. 51, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aliorneys United States Patent COMPRESED GAS-FUELLED CIGARETTE LIGHTERS Stanley Herbert Newman, New York, N. Y. Application August 31, 1953, Serial No. 377,569

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 1, 1952 7 Claims. c1. 67--7.1

This invention relates to cigarette, pipe or cigar lighters for smokers, of the type which employs as fuel a compressed gas such as butane.

In one aspect of the present invention a lighter of the type specified comprises a container for storing a supply of fuel under pressure in the liquid state, a narrow gas passage leading from the container to a burner jet where the gas is to be burnt and a stop valve adapted to open and close communication between the gas passage and the burner jet, and the mouth of the gas passage on the side facing the interior of the fuel container is covered and closed by a thin diaphragm of absorbent material such as paper, in contact with which is a wick of absorbent material adapted to conduct liquefied fuel from the interior of the container to the diaphragm which will absorb it, so that when the stop valve is opened liquefied fuel thus supplied to and absorbed in the diaphragm will evaporate and produce a stream of gas passing through the gas passage to the burner jet.

In one arrangement the wick is held in contact with the absorbent diaphragm by means of a retaining peg forced longitudinally into the open end of a tubular surrounding member at the far end of the interior of which the absorbent diaphragm lies, the wick passing over the end of the peg so as to be pressed thereby into contact with substantially the whole of the inner face of the absorbent diaphragm.

Thus for example the tubular surrounding member is provided with a cylindrical bore, while the peg is also generally cylindrical and fits the bore, opposite flanks of the peg being relieved to provide segmental passages for the wick between the relieved surfaces of the peg and the walls of the bore.

Another aspect of the present invention is concerned with providing means for regulating the height of the flame. This aspect of the invention comprises, in its broadest form, a lighter of the type fuelled by a compressed gas, in which liquefied fuel from the container is supplied to a pad of porous material part of which covers a narrow gas passage through which gas evaporates from the pad and flows to a burner, and in which means adjustable from outside the lighter is provided for applying a variable compression to the pad to regulate the rate of evaporation of gas through the gas passage and thus to regulate the height of the flame.

This aspect of the invention is particularly though not exclusively applicable to a lighter such as is referred to above in which there is provided a diaphragm of absorbent material such as absorbent paper in contact with which is a wick of absorbent material adapted to conduct liquefied fuel by capillary action from the interior of the container to the diaphragm which will absorb it.

Thus in one convenient construction the diaphragm is held in compression between two opposed surfaces one of which contains the mouth of the gas passage, and means adjustable from outside the lighter is provided for varying the compression applied thereby to the diaphragm so as to regulate the rate of evaporation and escape of compression of the diaphragm.

ice

gas from it through the gas passage, the diaphragm being considerably larger than the mouth of the gas passage and the point or points at which the diaphragm is supplied with liquid fuel by the wick being offset from the mouth of the gas passage.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, in a lighter of the type fuelled by compressed gas and including a hollow plunger incorporating a gas burner and movable axially from a closed position in which the supply of gaseous fuel to the burner is prevented, to an open position in which gas flows to the burner, means is provided whereby rotation of the plunger about its axis of linear movement varies the setting of an adjustable flow valve which controls the rate of fiow of gas to the burner.

For instance, in the case of a lighter such as is referred to above in which a diaphragm of absorbent material such as absorbent paper is held in compression between opposed surfaces and means adjustable from outside the lighter is provided for varying the compression of the diaphragm, rotation of the said plunger about its axis may be employed to cause the regulation of the compression of the diaphragm and thus the regulation of the height of the flame. i

In one such construction the movable plunger carries a radially extending member which engages in a slot formed in a surrounding adjustable screwthread collar retained in the surrounding body of the valve by a screwthread coaxial with the plunger, so that the plunger isfree to move axially but rotation about its axis causes the rotation of the screwed member which in turn varies the The head of the plunger may be formed for engagement by a suitable key for rotating it to regulate the setting of the adjustable member in accordance with the desired height of the flame.

In an alternative construction a part of the inner end of the movable plunger is of uniform non-circular, for example hexagonal, cross-section, and fits loosely in an axial bore of correspondingly shaped but slightly larger cross-section formed in the adjustable screwthreaded collar. Thus the plunger is free to move axially to operate the said valve but its rotation will cause the rotation of the adjustable screwthreaded collar to vary the com pression of the diaphragm.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but certain specific embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a pocket cigarette lighter employing compressed gas fuel such as butane,

Figure 2 is a plan of the lighter of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the lighter of Figure 1, partly in section on the line lib-III of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale showing an alternative construction of gas flow valve incorporating flow regulating means, for use in the lighter of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an exploded view showing the elements of the gas flow valve and burner illustrated in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a plan of the top of the gas flow valve and burner of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a plan showing the method of adjusting the gas flow valve of Figures 4 to 6 using a special key,

Figure 8 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a modified construction of gas flow valve, and

Figure 9 is a cross-section on the line IX-lX of Figure 8.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 a gas fuelled cigarette lighter includes a fuel container 10 adapted to be filled with a combustible compressed gas fuel such as butane gas, maintained in the liquid phase amass? burner which is generally indicated at "16 in Figure l and which communicates with the interior of the container -10.

-A movable fingerpiece or operating member 17 of channel section is pivoted :at one end on a shaft '18 mounted :on the top wall 11 of the container at the- -end opposite the valve and burner 16. The fingerpiece 17 is spring-biassed in an upward direction by a small torsion'spring '19 which surrounds the shaft 18 and acts between it and the, top wall 11of the container. At its inner end, remote from the shaft 18, the fingerpiece 17 carries projecting studs 20 which engage in slots 21 formed in the tail of the snulfer arm '15, so that when the fingerpiece'17'is pressed downwards by the operator, 'itwill'move towards the top wall 11 of the'fuel container and will rotate the snufler arm 15 upwardly so as to expose the head of the burner 22 associated with the valve 16;=at the same time this rotation of the snuffer arm will also rotate the striker wheel 12in the usual manner and in addition, as describedbelow, will-open the stop valve 16 to supply gas to the burner head 22 of the valve. A hollow flint tube 23 extends between the upper and lower walls of the fuel container 10 and a compression spring 24 -within the flint tube bears on a flint carried by the plunger 25 so that the flint is pressed against the serrated rim of the striker wheel 12 in the usual manner. Thus when the striker wheel is rotated bydepressing the fingerpiece, as described above, a stream of sparks is struck by it from the flint and is ejected from it towards the burner 22, at the same time as the snufier arm 15 is raised to expose the burner.

when thepressure on the fingerpiece 17 is removed, it will be returned to its idle-position, generally parallel to the'top wall 11 of the fuel container 10, and in so doing it will swing the snuifer arm 15 down again over the burner 22. In their idle or closed positions, the finger piece 17 and snuffer arm 15 co-operate to form a smooth continuous upper casing to thetop of the fuel container covering the working parts.

The combined stop valve and burner 16 is mounted in a small cylindrical well or'recess let into the top wall 11 of the fuel container. It comprises a hollow metal plug 31 which fits closely into the wall 30 and rests on a flange 32 at the bottom thereof, a sealing washer 33 of resilient material 'beingplace'd between the flange and 'a cooperating-shoulder 34 on the plug 31. The plug 31 is formed with a cylindrical skirt 35 which projects downwardly through a hole in the bottom of the wellwinto the-fuel container itself, and the bore of-the plug is interrupted by a constriction in the form of ametal wall 36 which extends transversely across the bore just above the skirt 35 and inside it, and which is formed with asmall-perforation comprising a very fine escape vent or passage 37 through which gas from the fuel container can pass upwards'to the burner. To restrict the flow of gas through the'escape'vent-37 the latter is covered by 'a thin disc of absorbent paper 38 which lies over it inside the skirt 35. A wick 39 of suitable absorbent materialleads from the interior of the fuel container into the skirt 35 and is pressed into close contact with the paper disc 38 by means of a retaining 'pe'g '40 whose uniform cross-section is cylindrical with segments cut oil opposite flanks by parallel chords. The peg40 fits closely into the interior of the skirt of the plug and is forced "axially into the interior of the skirt with the wick 39 passing up t he space provided byone 'mi's'sin g'segnrent, "'overthe' end of the p'eg40 in contact'wi'th thepap'er' disc thread for this purpose.

the paper disc 38, through which the liquid fuel filters,

can then pass up the escape vent 37 to the burner 22 when a stop valve which normally's'eals the other end of the escape vent 37 is-raised.

The stop valve comprises a hollow plunger 41 of circular section which can be'moved axially from a closed position in which it seals the gas passage 37 to a higher open position in which it permits gas to escape from the gas passage 37 into the interior bore 42 of the plunger. At the upper end of the plunger is the burner head 22 formed with a fine burner jet through which gas from the bore 42 will :pass to the outsideto be lit by sparks from the striker wheel 12. I

The plunger 41 is supportedat its other end by a sur- -roundingcollar 43 which is screwed into the top of the well 30, this well being formed with an internal screw- When the collar'43 is screwed fully home italso engages the top of theplug 31 and holds this firmly in place in the bottom of the well 30.

Near'its lower end 'theplung er is formed with a projecting circumferentialflange 44 which fits the upperpart of the bore of the plug 31. A compression spring 45 acts between the flange 44 of the plunger and the screwed collar 43 so as to bias the plunger 41in a downward direction towards the bottom of the well. An annular sealing washer-r46 is interposed between the spring 45 and the flange 44 of the plunger. This washer .6 is of resilient material so that the pressure of the spring 45 will tend to cause it to expand'radially outwards into'contact with the bore of the :plug 31, thus preventing the escape of gas :past the-outside of the plunger '41.

Overlying the escape vent 37 'is'a's'mall disc 47 ofsynthetic rubber or like resilient material, of smaller diameter than that of the bore of the plug 31 at that point, and

this resilient disc 47 acts as a sealing member to seal the escape vent-37 when pressed downwards on to it by the bottom of the plunger 41 under 'the action of the spring 45. A small'metal disc48 overlies the resilient disc 47*andacts 'asa distance'piecebetween it and'the latter'firmly'pressedbver the'es'ca'pe vent 37 and sets prevent the escape of "any gas. When theplunger '41 is raised, however, the spring Tpressure on the resilient sealing disc 47 is-r'emoved and'the'latter'will be'lifted off the escape vent 37 by the pressure of the gas "within, which will then pass-from the vent 37 around the disc 47 and distance piece '48 into the bore 42 of the plunger 41, via the notches in its lower edge, and so up to the burner 22 where it will escape'and burn.

Means isprovided for automatically raising the plunger 41 from its closedposition when the fingerpiece 17 is depressed. This comprises -a rocking lever 51) formed of a length of steel strip and shaped at one'end as a fork which engages a neck 51 formed un'der'the burner head fend, "-andin use "the ridge 52j'be'ars on the top of the wall 11 0f the fuel container andfacts as a f ulc'rumtfo'r the lever. The main part of 'the' lever-" extends along the top of the fuel container away from the fulcrum 52 underneath the snufter arm 15, the striker wheel 12, and the fingerpiece 17, the lever being formed with an aperture through which the head of the flint tube 23 passes. The end of the lever 50 remote from the burner 22 is swept upwardly to the vicinity of the web of the fingerpiece 17, so that when the latter is depressed to raise the snuifer arm and operate the flint Wheel it will also engage and depress that end of the lever 50 which will rock about its fulcrum. The forked end of the lever will thus be raised and will lift the plunger 41 from its closed position to permit the escape of gas through the burner 22.

Thus the single operation of depressing the fingerpiece 17 will raise the snulfer arm 15 to expose the burner 22, will raise the plunger 41 to open the stop valve and supply gas to the burner jet, and will operate the striker wheel 12 to ignite the gas emerging from the burner jet. When the fingcrpiece is released the lever 50 will rock back to permit the closing of the stop valve under the action of the plunger spring 45, thus shutting off the supply of gas, and the snutfer arm will be closed over the burner.

The fuel container is provided with a suitable charging aperture 60 for refilling it with compressed fuel. This incorporates a charging valve 61 adapted to co-operate with a separate refill cartridge containing fuel under pressure.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the general arrangement of the cigarette lighter is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 3. In the modified construction however, the lighter is provided with a different arrangement of burner stop valve which incorporates an adjustment for regulating the height of the flame.

In this modification the combined burner and stop valve is mounted as before in a small cylindrical well or recess 30 let into the fuel container 1i) and comprises a hollow metal body or plug 31' which fits into the well 30 and is provided with a closed lower extension 35 of reduced diameter which projects through a hole in the bottom of the well into the interior of the fuel container 10. The hollow plug 31' is held in the well by an externally screwthreaded top nut 43 which engages an internal screwthread formed in the well.

The bottom wall of the lower extension 35 of the plug 31 is perforated by a number of holes spaced around its outer edge and leading into the interior of the plug, and into each of these holes is forced the head of a wick 39 which extends downwards from the top into the liquefied fuel contained under pressure in the fuel container 10. A disc of absorbent paper 38 is located inside the plug on top of its bottom wall and overlies the perforations in contact with the heads of the wicks 39, so that liquid fuel drawn up the wicks by capillary action will be supplied to the paper disc and will be absorbed by it. The paper disc 38 is engaged and covered by the bottom of a cup member 70 which lies inside the plug 31 and is forced downwards to compress the paper disc 38' by means of a threaded collar 71' whose external screwthread engages a corresponding internal screwthread formed on the wall of the plug 31. A fine gas escape vent or passage 37 is formed in the bottom of the cup '70 overlying the centre of the paper disc 38 and liquefied gas absorbed by the paper disc will then evaporate from it and escape through the passage 37 at a rate determined by the pressure exerted by the cup 70 on the paper disc, when a stop valve sealing member 47' overlying the top of the passage 37' is raised. The cup '70 is provided with an external top flange by means of which a resilient sealing washer 72' is pressed against a cooperating shoulder on the wall of the plug 31 so as to prevent the escape of compressed fuel in liquid or gaseous form past the outside of the cup 70 and yet to allow the cup to be pressed resiliently against the paper disc 38 by means of the threaded collar 71'.

A hollow plunger 41' of circular section is provided to operate the stop valve, and is movable from a closed position in which it bears on the sealing member 47' to seal the gas escape vent 37, to a higher open position in which it releases the stop valve sealing member 47' to permit gas to escape into the bore 42' of the plunger. At its other end the plunger is formed with a burner head 22 incorporating a fine burner jet which communicates with the bore 42'. The sealing member 47' comprises a triangular pad of resilient material such as synthetic rubber, which overlies the top of the escape vent 37' but is lifted by the gas pressure to allow the escape of gas when the plunger 41 is raised. A small metal disc 48 is interposed between the sealing pad 47 and the open bottom of the plunger 41 to act as a distance piece.

The plunger 4-1 is axially movable in a hole defined by an inwardly directed flange at the top of the top nut 43' which retains the plug 31', and is spring-biassed to its inner or closed position by a compression spring 45'. A diaphragm washer 73 encloses the plunger 41 below its flange and engages the Wall of the plug 31 to prevent the escape of fuel past the outside of the plunger. The lower end of the plunger is of reduced diameter and extends down through the bore of the threaded collar 71 into the interior of the cup '79, where it presses the steel disc 48' and the sealing pad 47 against the top of the escape vent 37'.

In order to rotate the threaded collar 7 ll and so to vary the pressure of the cup 76 on the paper disc 38, the plunger 41 is provided with transverse driving pins 74 which project from the surface of the plunger at right angles to its axis and to one another, the pins 74 engaging in deep slots 75' formed in the upper surface of the threaded collar 71' as shown in Figure 5. These slots permit the plunger to move axially up and down to open and ciose the supply valve. When the plunger is rotated about its axis, however, the driving pins 74' will engage the walls of the slots 75 and cause the: rotation of the collar '71, and so screw it down or up thus increasing or decreasing the pressure of the cup 70 on the paper disc, and so regulating the rate at which gas will evaporate from the disc through the escape vent when the stop valve is opened. A special key 76 (Figure 7) is provided to fit the burner head 22 of the plunger for rotating it to adjust the setting of the collar 71, the key '76 having an aperture formed with a spline to fit the head 22 of the plunger which has a corresponding groove 77.

The plunger 41 is provided with a neck of reduced diameter just below its head 22' for engagement by the forked end of the rocking lever 50 which is operated by depressing the fingerpiece 17 of the lighter. In this case, however, the end of the lever 56 which carries the plug is flat, and it rocks on the edge of a fulcrum ring 78 which surrounds the head of the plunger on top of the valve body.

A further modification of the combined stop valve and burner is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. In this case the general arrangement of the paper disc 33" supplied with fuel by wicks 39" and of the cup70 which overlies the paper disc and has a perforation 37" in its lower wall, is much the same as in the previous embodiment illus trated in Figure 4. In this case the cup 79 has a circumferential groove which retains a sealing washer 72" against the inner wall of the plug 31". i

As in the previous embodiment a screwthreaded collar or nut 71 overlies the cup 70" and is screwed up or down to vary the pressure of the cup on the paper disc 38" and so to vary the height of the flames. In this case, however, instead of being formed with deep slots the collar 71" is formed with a bore of hexagonal section through which passes freely a solid hexagonal plug member 80 forming the lower part of the plunger 41". The hexagonal plug member 80" just fits within the bore of the collar 71 so that it can move axially up and down quite freely relatively to the collar, but when rotated about its axis causes the rotation of the collar 71". A solid cylindrical extens'ioh 81" bn the lower .part of the hexagonal plug 80 eiiters'the'interior of the cup 70" to engage the resilient "sealing member 47"overlying the gas passage 37.

The plunger 41" is formed with a cylindrical bore 82 iiito which theupperpart of the hexagonal plug 89" is a tenant, so that passages remain between the surface of the bore 82" and the flats of the hexagonal'plug 30 permitting theflow of gas into the upper bore 42" of the plunger and so t'o the burner 22''. in this case the dia- -phra'gm'vt' as'lier 7' "overlies a flange 44" at the bottom of the plunger 41" and is'pressed against it by the compression 's'pring45. V i

Thus when 'the'fingerpiece 17 -is depressed the rocking lever 50" "raisesthe plunger 41" together with the hexagonal plug 80 which moves longitudinally in the nut '71", and its lower nd 81" releases the sealing member 47", to allow the escape of gas upwardly between the nexa'gomigplu 80 and th'e hexagonal bore of the collar 71, and thence between the hexagonal plug and the c'ylindricalboi'e '82" of the upper part of the plunger to "the burner 22".

When the burner 22" is engaged by a key and the plunger is rotated thereby about its axis together with the hexagonal plug 80",the plug '80" engages the hexaupuritil the hexagonal plug "80" comes clear of the hexagonal bore in the'collar 71 and the whole plunger can then be rotated through any desired multiple of 60 and then dropped back so that the hexagonal plug re-enters the hexagonal boreyin this way the slot 77" in the burner head .22 which is used for engagement with the key can be brought to the most convenient orientation so that the key when in use will not foul the snulfer arm or its supports or other fittings on the top of the lighter body.

When the valve is in the closed position, the hexagonal shoulder on the plug 80" overlying the reduced cylinder portion 81 bears on the top of the cup 70" so as to limit theinward movement of the plunger. The length of the cylindrical portion 81" and the depth of the interior of the cup 70 are so-dimensioned as to limit "the compression of the resilient sealing member 47" to a safe value, thus enabling a more powerful spring 45 to be used to returnthe plunger without any danger of the compressionofthe sealing member 47" by the spring exceeding the'elasticlimit and destroying the member 47".

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette lighter of the type which employs as *fuel a compressed'inflammable gas, which comprises a pressure container adaptedto hold'a supply'of the compressed fuelin the liquid state, and a combined valve and burner assembly supported'by-a wall of the container,

the said assembly including 'a cup-shaped hollow sup-. porting member, a-plug disposed in the interior of the supportingmember, a disc-shaped absorbent pad held in compression in the interior of the supporting member below the plug, an externally screwthreaded driving nut -screwedinto'a-cooperating internal screwthread formed in the supporting member, the driving nut overlying'the plug'and pressing it downwardly to compress the absorbent-pad, the degree ofcompression of the pad being adjustable by screwing the driving nut up and down, a wicksupported at its outer end by the cup-shaped supporting member in'eontact with at'le'ast the periphery of the-inner surface of the 'absorbentpad, the Wickextending through the wall of the cup-shaped supporting member is covered by the central region of the outer surface of the absorbent pad, a resilient valve member overlying the outer end of the gas ,passage, an axially movable hollow plunger extending within the cup-shaped supporting member and inwardly spring biased, the inner end of the plunger extending through an aperture in the driving nut and bearing on the resilient valve member to hold it in sealing engagement with the outer end of the gas passage and thus to prevent the escape of gas through the passage, mechanismfor moving the plunger axially outwards to release the resilient valve memberand permit'the escape of gas from the passage, the plunger being formed at its outer end with a burner jet communicating with itsbore to which the gas escaping from the gas passage passes when the resilient valve member is released, and the plunger being rotatable about its longitudinal axis which is coaxial with the screwthread axis of the driving nut, and including a sliding "connection between the plunger and the driving nut which permits the axial movement of the plunger'relatively to the driving nut, but which prevents relative rotation between the plunger and the driving nut, whereby rotation of the plunger rotates the driving nut and so varies the compression of the absorbent pad to provide regulation or" the size of the lighter flame at the burner jet.

2. A lighter as claimed in claim 1 in which the head of the plunger is formed for engagement by a suitable key outside the lighter, for rotating the plunger to 'e'fiec the regulation of the flame size. 7

3. A lighter as claimed in claim 1 in which the plunger carries a radially extending-arm which engages in a slot formed in the driving nut, the slot extending parallel to the axis of "the plunger, the arm and the slot together constituting the sliding connection betweeii the plunger and the driving nut.

4. A lighterasclaimed-in claim 1 in which'the inner end of the plunger is'of'uniforr'n non-circular cross-section and in which the aperture of the driving nut is of corresponding but slightly larger shape, the inner end of the 'plungerfitting closely within the apertureof the nut to provide the sliding connection between theiplunger and the driving nut.

5. A lighter as claimed in claim 4 in which the'crosssection of the inner end of the plunger is hexagonal, and

'in Which the shape'of the aperture in the'driving nut is also hexagonal.

6. A lighter'as claimed in claim 5 in which the plunger is formed in two parts, namely an outer hollow tubular portion having "a cylindrical bore and formed with the burner jet'in itsouterend, and aninner solid plug-having a uniform hexagonal cross-section along the majority of its length, the hexagonal part of the solid plug being a force fit in the cylindrical bore of the outer tubularpa'rt.

7. A lighter as claimed in claim 6 in which the solid plug'is formed at its inner end with a shoulder which engages the plug to limit the degree of compression of the resilient valve member by'the plunger under the action of the springbiasing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,594,754 Felt Apr. 29, 1952 2,608,081 Morgan-ct al Aug. 26, 1952 2,620,643 Niss'en Dec. 9,1952 2,695,508 Gruber Nov. 30,1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 156,987 Austria Sept. '11, 1939 631,124 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1952 681,777 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1952 

